Protest against militants as PoK fears for peace

Residents of the Neelam Valley in PoK shut shops and staged a demonstration on Saturday to protest against the presence of militants who carry out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.

It was the second such protest in Neelam Valley in one-and-half months, BBC Urdu service reported.

Traders at Athmuqam in Neelam Valley closed their shops for two hours and also held a rally. They alleged that the movement of militants in the area has increased. They also said they feared that the ceasefire along the LoC could collapse.

Last month, women had organised a similar protest against militants and demanded that they should leave the area.

Sharafat, a lawyer, said armed militants were visible again in the area after a long time. "People are concerned at their presence," he said.

The language spoken by the militants showed they are not Kashmiris and they did not belong to any part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, he said.

Noting that the militants must have come from other areas, Sharafat said: "They want to spoil the atmosphere and the people of Neelam Valley demand that the activities of these people should be stopped."

Some of the people who participated in Saturday's protest said they had heaved a sigh of relief after a ceasefire was put in place along the LoC in late 2003 and they did not want tension in the area again.